Week 6: Drink to Your Health

Simple sipping tips to keep you from drinking empty calories

Cutting back on calories from sugary drinks is one of the easiest things you can do to instantly improve your weight loss program. "I've had clients who have lost 20 pounds just by changing what they drink," says nutritionist Cynthia Sass, RD, MPH, who designed Prevention's 8-week healthy eating weight loss program. The problem with having sweetened drinks with a meal is that those 200 or 300 calories don't cause your body to feel full -- they just add extra calories. But by limiting or eliminating drinks like soda or artificially flavored juices, which usually have little or no nutritional value, you can cut out excess carbohydrates, sugars, and caffeine.

This week, Cynthia teaches you how to wean yourself off calorie-heavy drinks and replace them with a healthier weight loss program drinking habit.

Monday

According to a recent study, about 20% of the total calories in the typical American diet are from "added sugars" such as those found in sweetened drinks, candy, and baked goods. But the largestsoft drinks. Cutting back on sweet drinks is probably the best way to reduce your intake of added sugars -- one of the major recommendations of the USDA's latest dietary guidelines. source is

Tuesday

The next time you're at the market, check out the "nutrition facts" label on a bottle of soda, sweet tea, or lemonade. Compare the calories and the carbohydrate content to other foods. For example, 1 slice of bread provides about 60 calories from roughly 15 grams of carbohydrate. That's the amount in just 5 ounces of soda. In other words, you could either eat 1 slice of bread or less than 1 cup of soda for the same amount of calories and carbohydrates.

Wednesday

One way to cut back on sweetened drinks is to wean yourself gradually. Combine sweetened and unsweetened tea in a 50/50 mixture, and then gradually reduce the sweetened portion until it's all unsweetened. Brewed hot or iced tea (without the sugar) is free of calories and loaded with disease-fighting antioxidants. If you need added flavor, try a brand infused with mango, raspberry, blueberry, apple, pomegranate or lemon.

Thursday: Ways to Make Water Taste Better

Thursday

If you don't like the taste of plain water, try adding a small amount of 100% fruit juice. Adding a quarter cup of white grape or apple juice to a 20-ounce bottle of cold water can add the hint of flavor you need to enjoy it. Also, consider investing in a new water bottle or mug you'll love. You can even order one decorated with a photo of pet, significant other, or favorite vacation spot.

Friday

One benefit to giving up carbonated drinks is saying goodbye to bloating. But if carbonation doesn't bother you, swap soda for a calorie-free carbonated seltzer flavored with fruit essence. These drinks have no added sugars or artificial sweeteners and come in a variety of flavors including cherry, lemon, lime, and raspberry.

Saturday

Did you know that a large fast-food soda provides 80 more calories than a small order of French fries? A 145-pound woman would need to walk at 3 miles per hour for over an hour to burn off the calories from one 20-ounce bottle of regular soda. In fact, drinking one 20-ounce soda a day that you can't burn off is enough to keep an extra 16 pounds on your frame. Cutting out or reducing soda is one of the easiest ways to slash surplus calories and increase your weight loss.

Sunday

The caffeine content of a 12-ounce serving of caffeinated soda ranges from 22 milligrams to 55 milligrams. According to the American Dietetic Association, and our weight loss program, moderate caffeine consumption is considered to be about 200-300 milligrams per day. So, if you're a heavy soda drinker, replacing soft drinks with water may help you curb your caffeine intake. And if you purchase one 20-ounce bottled drink per day, you probably spend about $37.50 per month. Kicking a one-bottle-per-day habit saves $450 per year.

From Prevention.com